Translation guide
The English word "drop" has many meanings. This guide covers the most common ones for learners: letting something fall, falling down, reducing, stopping, and more.
To release something from your hand so it falls, or to accidentally let something fall.
General verb for dropping something. Can be intentional or accidental.
コップを落として割ってしまった。
I dropped the cup and broke it.
財布を落とした。
I dropped my wallet.
Casual/spoken variant of 落とす. Often implies accidental dropping.
スマホを落っことしちゃった。
I dropped my phone.
Formal/technical term for dropping something from a height, like a bomb or supplies.
飛行機から救援物資を投下した。
They dropped relief supplies from the plane.
Something falls from a higher place to a lower place.
Intransitive verb for something falling. Used for objects, leaves, etc.
More formal or technical term for falling, often used for objects or in news reports.
岩が崖から落下した。
A rock fell from the cliff.
To make something lower in level, amount, or intensity.
To lower something (transitive). Used for prices, volume, temperature, etc.
値段を下げる。
To drop the price.
音量を下げてください。
Please turn down the volume.
To go down, decrease (intransitive). Used for temperature, prices, etc. falling by themselves.
Can also mean to reduce something like speed, quality, or rank.
Formal term for a decline or drop in quality, ability, etc.
品質が低下した。
The quality dropped.
To stop doing something, abandon a plan, or quit a habit.
To take someone somewhere by car and leave them there.
To give someone a ride and drop them off. The 'dropping off' nuance is understood from context.
駅まで送るよ。
I'll drop you off at the station.
To let someone out of a vehicle. More direct 'drop off'.
ここで降ろしてください。
Please drop me off here.
A very small round amount of liquid.
One drop of liquid. Counter is 滴 (てき).
一滴の水も無駄にしない。
Don't waste a single drop of water.
A drop or droplet, often used poetically or for tears, rain, etc.
落とす (おとす) is transitive: someone drops something. 落ちる (おちる) is intransitive: something falls by itself. Be careful not to mix them up.
私がコップを落とした。
I dropped the cup.
コップが落ちた。
The cup fell.
The phrase 'drop by' (visit casually) is not translated with 落とす. Use 寄る (よる) or 立ち寄る (たちよる) instead.
帰りにちょっと寄るね。
I'll drop by on my way home.
The temperature dropped.
売り上げが下がっている。
Sales are dropping.
To drop speed / slow down.
We dropped our travel plans.
その番組は打ち切られた。
The show was dropped (cancelled).
a teardrop